MPs could move to Department of Health HQ under Parliament restoration plan

Report set to call for MPs to move to Richmond House while the Lords could relocate to the Queen Elizabeth II conference


The Department of Health's Richmond House HQ, where MPs could move. Image: PA

By Josh May

08 Sep 2016

Both Houses of Parliament will leave the Palace of Westminster for six years under a plan to be put forward by MPs and peers reviewing the need for restoration work.

MPs would move to the Department of Health’s Richmond House building on Whitehall, while the Lords could relocate to the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre opposite Westminster Abbey.

A range of options for the refurbishment programme was proposed by consultancy firm Deloitte last year.


Parliament renovation could see MPs and peers relocated to Whitehall departments
Vague on both your houses: How well do civil servants understand parliament?
Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock: government to vacate 75% of sites by 2023


They said the cost of the project could range between £3.5bn and more than £7bn – depending if one or both of the Houses of Parliament intended to stay on site during the works.

The restoration committee will today recommend the cheapest of the plans, with restoration work reportedly set to begin in 2022.

According to The Times, the proposal has the support of No 10 although both the Commons and Lords will need to approve the plans.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “We're awaiting a report and will respond in due course.”

Read the most recent articles written by Josh May - Think tank calls for new cross-departmental drive to boost social mobility

Tags

Parliament
Share this page